[1][2] Fang was born in Shanghai, Republic of China, on October 28, 1932.
After graduating from Fudan University in October 1955, he was assigned to the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
After returning to China, he was again assigned to the Institute of Modern Physics.
He joined the Chinese Communist Party on June 22, 1979.
He served as vice-president of the Institute of High Energy Physics in 1986, and two years later was promoted to President.